Redskins.com:For Hasselbecks, A Family Affair On Sunday

[TK]

http://redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12220

For Hasselbecks, A Family Affair On Sunday

11/07/2003

By Gary Fitzgerald

Redskins.com

This Sunday’s matchup between the Redskins and Seahawks is also a matchup between quarterbacks Patrick Ramsey and Matt Hasselbeck. To a lesser extent, though, Matt Hasselbeck will be playing against his younger brother, Tim Hasselbeck, who is Ramsey’s backup.

Matt and Tim grew up in Westwood, Mass.—along with younger brother Nathanael, who plays wide receiver for Boston College—and have supported each others’ careers. Both started at Boston College. They are the sons of longtime New England Patriots tight end Don Hasselbeck.

Matt and Tim talk at least once a week, but this week it’s a little different. Understandably so.

“I’ve talked to him a little bit this week,” Tim said. “It’s tough, because usually we talk a little bit of football and when I talk to him now, we’re probably not going to be able to do that until after this game.”

“At times it’s tough during the games because I'm not really facing him," he added. "I'm not on defense trying to tackle him, obviously. So it’s a little different when you're out there watching him because usually I want him to do really well. But we need a win really bad here, so if he turns it over a couple times this week, that's fine with me.”

The Redskins signed Tim on Oct. 21. He won a practice competition against rookie Gibran Hamdan to serve as the Redskins’ backup and played several snaps in the Dallas game when Ramsey was briefly out of the game.

In his first NFL action as a quarterback, Tim completed 2-of-3 passes for 20 yards. His first NFL pass was a 6-yard completion to wide receiver Patrick Johnson. Head coach Steve Spurrier praised Hasselbeck’s brief performance, adding that the incompletion occurred because a receiver ran a wrong route.

Said Tim: “My first NFL pass seemed to happen really quick. I got in there, and they had to know I was throwing it because there weren’t any backs in the backfield. But that's just how it goes. Patrick Johnson made a really nice play, and I told him afterward, I said, ‘Hey, I appreciate you making a good catch.’ So it ended up being an okay start.”

Tim said he is becoming more and more comfortable with Spurrier’s offense.

“Hopefully Patrick stays healthy, doesn’t get hit like he did against Dallas, stays in the game and plays well,” he said. “But am I getting more comfortable in learning the offense? Yeah. It's still pretty fresh. I've been here about three weeks, so it's still new. But at the same time I'm doing everything I can to learn as much as I can. I'm further along this week than I was last week.”

Said his brother Matt: “I think it’s hard [to learn an offense in a short amount of time], but Tim’s smart. He’s been in a bunch of different offenses and he’s done a real good job of picking things up. I think he’ll do fine, but obviously the best thing for the Washington Redskins is for Patrick Ramsey to be playing quarterback.”

Matt, a five-year veteran who was a backup for two years in Green Bay before a trade brought him to Seattle, struggled in his first two seasons as the Seahawks’ starter. But he started to play better late last year—in leading Seattle to three consecutive wins to close out their season—and he has solidified his standing this year.

For the season, Matt is 145-of-248 for 1,774 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Matt said he owes Tim a debt of gratitude in helping him through the tough times in Seattle.

“I think he’s meant more to my career than I’ve probably meant to his,” Matt said. “He’s been there for me with advice when I was struggling here in Seattle and even when things have been going well. He’s a really smart football player and has a lot of knowledge. He’s my younger brother, but he has a real veteran presence about him.”

Both Hasselbecks are excited to be on the same field on Sunday. Their parents are expected to fly in for the game

[NoCalMike]

I hope he will provide a good backup role for years to come.